The Art Of Recovery By Mathew Goodall

I am a local artist who has had various projects in and around the Portsmouth Area. I also had an exhibition in 1996 in Portsmouth Guildhall and I have sold some of my work locally at " The Gallery " in Albert Rd, Southsea as well as in craft fares. About me … These are pictures of a mural I did in 2013 on a wall of a friends Aztec Temple.

For the last year and a half I have been putting on an Art class in conjunction with the Bay trees unit of St James Hospital, Portsmouth. This has been possible with funding from the NHS. I aim to produce a therapeutic environment in which individuals are encouraged to explore their creativity and potential using a variety of mediums. It is my belief that we provide a valuable service outside of the group constructs where barriers are often lowered, enabling people to talk and express themselves easier. I do not however offer Art therapy and I am not a practicing counsellor (although the actual experience of producing a work of art can be a form of therapy in itself). I merely teach and try to enable the client to have an “artist experience “ and we have had many successes, judging by the feedback forms given out by me and my colleague at the end of each session. The past 18 months in Baytrees and where I would like to take it.

11/10/13 Sorted ! good group, good people but wasn't long enough. Should be more encouraged in Baytrees - Si 13/8/13 I found the art group very therapeutic and have reminded myself i can be entertained for a few hours without thinking about using, with a pen, pencil, fresh air and sunshine, costs nothing too ! - James P 11/10/13 I found the group very inspirational and compatible, positive thinking gone up - Kate. Client Feedback 27/9/13 Cheers guys really good shared activity, enjoyed the session - J

Some Of The Pictures By The Clients In Baytrees

As well as providing a variety of materials and mediums, I have learnt to develop a way of working with individuals with varying degrees of artistic experience or know how. I am used to working or tailoring my workshops to cater for the clients specific needs. I can work quickly to provide an “artistic experience“ using such methods as “Paint Presses”, which is very effective when working with people that are infirm or do not have a steady hand and employ other methods when required. The paintings below were by clients using a design imprinted on canvas. The painting below is a technique, I use which uses paint presses. Materials, Mediums and Methods

Art as an alternative from of therapy and means of self expression ….. From my own experience I feel that the “Creative Arts” in general is an area which is sadly overlooked, or more often than not an art class will be started with the best of intentions but for various reasons falls by the wayside in favour of other groups, programs and other forms of therapy’s. Although from my own experience I know if somebody is not ready to talk or open up due to reasons unknown to the care team like mental health for instance, it provides a valuable arena where barriers are lowered, enabling people to open up and engage and ultimately express themselves in an environment much different from a group. This in turn often leads to talk and discussion on such topics as addiction in which I feel I can offer my experience and insight as someone who has seen and experienced these issues first hand. It is my aim to bring back Art into Rehabs and Detox programmes and also maybe branch out into mental health.

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